Zielinski: Vikings will add to Packers’ miseries

By DAN ZIELINSKI

The Packers’ youth and inexperience clearly showed over the last three weeks. They enter this week’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, desperate for a win after dropping their last three games.

The Packers (2-4) have started contests slow and not played with a sense of urgency until the second half. Questionable playcalling and inconsistent execution also have hampered them.

Today, they will square off against the surging Vikings (3-4), who have won their last two games, including a big win over the San Francisco 49ers last week.

The Packers will need to play well from the start against the Vikings. They have played poorly in first haves, scoring six points and getting outscored 63-6 overall in the first half of the last four games. Despite the sluggish start, they tend to pick up the pace in the second half, taking fourth-quarter leads in three of the previous four games.

Coach Matt LaFleur’s playcalling ability and overall command of a team are in question. The Packers have to avoid another poor start and can’t afford the need to have another monumental comeback late in the game.

The Packers’ offensive line also needs to step up on Sunday. The unit needs to do a better job of handling pressure, something they can expect against the Vikings. The Packers have struggled to give quarterback Jordan Love time to throw, while the Packers also haven’t run the ball as effectively in recent weeks.

The Packers are struggling. They need a boast and are desperate for a win against the Vikings. Can they heat up and stop their division rival? It won’t be easy, especially if they don’t play well in the first half. I don’t have faith in LaFleur to put his team in a position to play a complete game.

Prediction: Vikings 27, Packers 20